The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-01-21

country would receive any advantage
from such application of the public
moneys. Investments of this kind
would pay nothing, but would incur
additional expenditure for superln-
tendence and care of the property.
The income from walls of stone, heavy
cannon and ships OF iron would never
feed, clothe or educate a single Ameri-
can child. But it is pleaded our At
lantic and Pacific coasts are defence
less and exposed at any time to the
sudden invasion of the enemy. That
is almost a groundless scare. The
United States, since our National In
dependence over hundred years ago
has never had any formidable defences
on land or sea, and during that time
has had but one war with a foreign
power, and that was over seventy years
ago. Since that time it is not reason.
able to conclude that the nations of
the world have been growing more
belligerent, but have probably become
more inclined to peace as civilization
has advanced. Situated as the United
States is, separated from the nations
of Europe by the broad Atlantic no
foreign power will venture on war
with this country under such disad-
vantages. The war with England in
1912 proved that no power so far dis
tant could make successful Roadway
against this country. So long as the
United States maintains its peace poll
cy, the danger of war is extremely re-
mote.
| The surplus in the national treasury
might he SO used as would greatly add
to the power of this nation, insure it's
perpetuity, and place it in a position
to more fully command the respect oil
the civilized world; it properly and
rightly might be applied to the cause
of general education. There has for
some years past been bill before Con.
gress to appropriate $70,000,00O to the
education of the illiterate masses in
the Southern States. Senator Blair, oil
New Hampshire, has labored assidu.
ously to secure an appropriation OF
this kind. 1t has been claimed by ouI
wisest statesmen, and but family de.
MED by any, that education is better
national defence than forts and fortifi.
cations bristling with cannon. An ig.
norant population is nations weak.
ness. A small number of English SOL
diers can drive before them thousands
of Hindoos, not so much because of
the superior physical strength of the
the former but because of the igno-
rance of the latter. With all our
schools and higher institutions of
learning, there IS a vast amount of il
literacy in the United States. These
appalling facts are disclosed by the
last census. This great amount of il
literacy is an element Of weakness
rather than of strength. There are
great needs in nearly all of the states
| of the Union where common school
education receives encouragement for
additional helps to education. The
sentiments expressed in educational
conventions from the Wisest men the
past two years indicate the conviction
| that our public schools fall far short
of imparting. The instruction required
for the highest welfare of the people.
Education for the head alone has been
provided for in our system of common
schools. The popular presumption
has been that simply book knowledge
is the chief essential for fitting the
youth of the land for success in life.
The pursuit of book learning has been
earnestly pursued, but the pupils in the
schools have been only little more
than half educated; if they depend
on the requirements of the usual
routine Of studies taught in the COM
mon schools. Thousands of boys,
after leaving the schools, are at sea as
to their future. They have no trade,
no knowledge of occupations requiring
skill, and are glad to find some light
employment that demands no particu-
lar talent. There is a necessity for
mechanical or industrial department
to public schools in every considerable
town, village or city. This is needed
to educate the hands of scholars.
Head education alone may have an
swered generation ago, but times
have changed, and too many are COM
ing on the stage of life's activities who
need something more than knowledge
Of books. It is urged that the public
schools cannot afford the expense of
additional instruction in mechanical
industries. The surplus in the nation
al treasury is quite or more than sufi-
cient to meet the expense Of equipping
the schools for industrial training.
Let the education of heads and hands
be conjoined, and there will be all up
lift to a higher standard of independ-
ence of the people. Better, far better,
to apply the peoples money to increas-
ing the area of useful knowledge than
by investing il in stone, brick aud iron
for so-called national defences, which
are not required.
SOMERS.